Portland was named the best minor league sports market in the country

PORTLAND, Maine (WMTW) – The Portland Sea Dogs have long been considered one of the most popular minor league baseball teams in the country and are among the best-selling items in minor league sports.

Now, Portland has been named the No. 1 minor league sports market in the country for 2024 by Sports Business Journal in a ranking released Monday.

In 2019, Portland ranked No. 118 on the list and then No. 71 in 2022 before rising to the top this year.

Portland’s previous top spot on the list was 5th in 2011, when the city was home to the Sea Dogs and Portland Pirates.

Charleston, South Carolina, was the most recent top-rated city and tops the list in 2022.

Portland has a vibrant minor league sports scene with the Sea Dogs, Maine Celtics, Maine Mariners and Portland Hearts of Pine.

The rankings point to the deep local ties that all four teams have in Maine, both in terms of their affiliation and their people, as well as their dedication and commitment to the local community.

“Portland is about a community whose teams – including one that has captured the city’s hearts despite yet to play a game – are deeply connected to each other and to their parent clubs nearly 100 miles away in Boston, and whose employees are religious New Englanders who respect their role as stewards of a community treasure,” the Sports Business Journal report said.

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